Protesters rallying against Michigan emergency takeover law

Protest to take place outside Gov. Rick Snyder's gated community

Protesters are rallying outside Gov. Rick Snyder's gated community against what they say is a racially biased law making easier for Michigan to take over financially struggling communities and school districts.

A rally was scheduled for 4-7 p.m. on Martin Luther King Monday at Parker Mill County Park, followed by a march to the community's gatehouse in Washtenaw County's Superior Township near Ann Arbor. Michigan State Police and Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies were on hand.

"We hope that this achieves bringing more attention to the fact that this emergency manager law is one of the most egregious violation of voting rights and civil rights that maybe the state has ever seen," said Shannon McEvilly.

There are also those counter-protesting.

"We're tired of, first of all, people hijacking the civil rights movement to make it something that it's not," said Stacey Swimp. "The civil rights movement was not a movement to ask the government for something that we weren't entitled to."

Snyder spokeswoman Sara Wurfel says the Republican governor supports citizens' right to protest, calling it "part of democracy in action."

Snyder denies the law is racially motivated.

Emergency managers are in place in Benton Harbor, Pontiac, Flint and Detroit's schools. Detroit's finances are under a review that could bring it under state control.

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